Conventional ultrasonic wave applying apparatus for applying ultrasonic waves to the human body are disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-22518 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 3-63054. The conventional apparatus includes an applicator having a vibration element which is in contact with the human body to apply the ultrasonic waves, an oscillator circuit for providing ultrasonic waves to the vibration element, and a load detecting circuit which detect whether the vibration element is in contact with a load. In this apparatus, it is proposed to reduce the level of the ultrasonic vibration given to the vibration element upon detection of a no-load condition. The ultrasonic wave applying device of this kind has been developed mainly for diagnosis of internal organs of the human body by a specialist such as a doctor. Therefore, the load detecting circuit is enough by the specialist for effectively applying the ultrasonic waves to the human body. However, when the apparatus is utilized to apply the ultrasonic waves for the purpose of facial care or weight reduction, an user mostly of an amateur is difficult to utilize the apparatus in a safe and effective manner even with the load detecting circuit. Therefore, it becomes important to detect whether the apparatus is correctly moving along the skin. That is, in view of that there may arise a cold burn when the vibration element remains in contact with a portion over a long period, a measure is demanded to prevent the cold burn in addition to eliminating undue energy consumption at the no-load condition.